Labor and the Greens have today again shown they’re not serious about listening to Murray-Darling Basin communities about the proposed Basin Plan, Coalition Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham said today. Senator Birmingham today attended today’s Murray-Darling Basin Authority public meeting in Murray Bridge, as did fellow federal Liberal MPs Patrick Secker, Jamie Briggs and…
DetailsThe Gillard Government has condemned Australia to a carbon tax just as the rest of the world is set to step away from legally binding international agreements, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Simon Birmingham said today. It follows confirmation the Government’s carbon tax legislation has received Royal Assent. “Tonight our time…
DetailsLYNDAL CURTIS: Hello and welcome to Capital Hill. I’m Lyndal Curtis. If nothing else, the weekend’s Labor Party conference showed that the art of the impassioned speech is not dead, even though it’s rarely seen in the Parliament. The conference endorsed same-sex marriage and a conscience vote on the same. It also endorsed offshore…
DetailsKIERAN GILBERT: With me now, Labor MP Andrew Leigh in the Canberra studio… Morning, Andrew… ANDREW LEIGH: Morning, Kieran. KIERAN GILBERT: … and from Adelaide we have Liberal Senator… Senator Simon Birmingham. Senator, thanks for your time. SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Good morning, Kieran. Morning, Andrew. KIERAN GILBERT: I want to ask…
DetailsJOURNALIST: What’s new today? We’ve had all this coverage of it yesterday. You’ve come all the way down here. What are you still doing this for? SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Well, this is the process of actually talking to stakeholders, talking to people who have a real interest in this Basin Plan and how it’s…
DetailsLUKE GRANT: Now, as you know, the UN Climate Change Conference is happening in South Africa, in Durban. Simon Birmingham is the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray-Darling Basin and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment… Liberal Senator for South Australia and joins us on the line. Afternoon, Senator. SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Good afternoon,…
DetailsJESSICA SWANN: I think the most important news of the morning is to say a very happy birthday to Reggie [phonetic], and Tony [phonetic] is also having a birthday. Gosh, all these messages coming in before the program. ‘Hi, it’s Leon here. Please, I’d like to say happy birthday in the morning to the…
DetailsTREVOR SCOTT: … and as you would be aware, the Murray-Darling [proposed] Basin Plan has been released and, I tell you what, it’s a little bit murky. Well, so says Senator Simon Birmingham a murky plan for murky waters. I welcome Senator Birmingham to the program. Good morning, Senator. SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Good…
DetailsMARY GOODE: … The draft Plan now faces 20 weeks of consultations and a final Plan is expected to be presented to Parliament mid-next year. There is then 15 sitting days to disallow it. Any Member of either House can move a disallowance motion but the motion needs a majority to pass. That puts…
DetailsA reasonable person would think that a plan for the sustainable management of the Murray-Darling Basin would specify how much water would be used for particular environmental assets and how much water would be recovered from particular communities. The plan released today does neither. This plan is as murky as the very waterways it…
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